Device for drawing off the surface water or reservoirs, dams, tanks, or the like.



No. 783,878. PATENTED EEB.28, 1905. T. LYDON.

DEVICE FOR DRAWING OFF THE SURFACE WATER OF RESERVOIRS, DAMS, TANKS, OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED 001224, 1904.

UQWWM yabrw/ No. tee ers.

Nrrn' Smarts Patented February 28, 1905..

DEVlCE FOR DRAWING OFF THE SURFACE WATER 0F RESERVGIRS, DAMS, TANKS, OR THE". LIKE.

SPEUIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 783,878, dated February 28, 1905,

v Application filed October 24:, 1904;. Burial No. 229,737.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'lmoruv lLYDoN, a citizen of the Unite Statesu'esiding at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Devices for l.)rawin,g Off the Surface Water of iteservoirs, Dams, 'lanks, or the Like, of which the following" is a specification.

'lhis invention-relates to improvements in devices for drawing off the surface water of reservoirs, dams, tanks, and the like.

Dams and tanks especially soon become foul by the accumulation of dirt that passes with the water into such receptacle, and such dirt settles and gradually accumulates on the bottom of such receptacle. Therefore as the water is drawn from the bottom of such receptacle the dirt will flow oil with the water, and consequently the water when drawn for use is cloudy or contains dirt particles and is unfit for use for a great many domestic purposes. By the aid of the present invention it is possible to practically overcome this trouble by providing means whereby the draw-oli' point in the receptacle may be maintained practically ator near the water surface or level, where the water is substantially clear and free of dirt, and such surface water may be utilized for purposes that the water at the bottom would be unfit for.

it is further proposed in'practieing the invention to provide a draw-ofi' pipe at the bottom of the receptacle in order thatwater at that point may be used for purposes where the presence of the dirt would be immaterial. In the accompanying drawings the invention is illustrated as applied to a tank; but it is obdesignates the circular wall of the tank,'and 2 the bottom thcreoi. The particular construction oi the tank is immaterial, and in practice there may be no tank, but instead a reservoir, dam, or any body of water.

in the present instance a vertical draw-oil pipe 3 extends centrally through the bottom 2, and a suitable stuffing-box 4 surrounds the pipe and serves to make a watertight joint where the pipe 3 passes into the tank.

opposite sides of said'pipe and at equal distances apart. The number and disposition of the, nipples, however, on the pipe may be varied, Beneath each nipple and sustained by the pipe 3 is a collar or bracket 9, prefer ably of a clamp form to encircle the pipe and capable of being rigidly secured by bolts 10 to the pipe in a position adjacent the nipple. Each bracket is provided with a lateral arm 11, which projects in a-direction parallel with but beneath the nipple.

A valve-lever 12 is pivotally mounted onthe arm 11 and at its upper end is provided with a circular recess 13, in whicha suitable packing 14 is secured. This packing hasa position on the head to confront the passage in the adjacent nipple, so as to seat on the end of the nipple to close said passage when the lever 12 is rocked. The lower end 150i said lever projects below the arm 11 for a purpose presently to be described.

A head 16 is pivoted at the outer end of i the arm 11, and said head is provided with one arm 17, which projects toward the upper end of the valve-lever,and another arm, 1 8, which projects below and toward the lower end 15 of said lever. A rod 19 projectslaterally and upwardly in an inclined direction from the head 16 and at its outer or free end carries a the bottom in any preferred direction.

passes through a stuifing-box 23.

globe or float 20, whose buoyant qualities are su'flicient to raise the rod and rock the head 16, so that the arm 17 will move inwardly toward the pipe 3 and seat the packing on the upper end of the valve-lever against the nipple to close the passagein the latter when the float is sufliciently submerged, as seen by the three lower floats in Fig. 1.

As the water is drawn ofl' throughthe port 6 the uppermost float lowers with the water level or surface, and when the water-level reaches a point near the bottom of the port 6 the uppermost float will be lowered sufliciently to pull the upper end of the valve-lever away {rom the highest nipple, and thus open the passage-way 8, through which the water may escape into the pipe 3. It willbe noted that the arrangement of the head 16 and its arms 17 and 18 with respect 0 go the valve-lever 12 is such no matter whether passage 8 and the buoyancy of the float acts positively to close the passage. It will be understood that the water will be continually drawn from a point near the surface while the uppermost valve is open, and

' as the water-level reaches a point approximately at the nipple of the uppermost valve the next lower valve will be opened by the lowering of its float and the water will continue to be drawn ofl near its surface or level. This operation may be repeated as the water lowers in the tank, and each valve will operate in its-turn.

' At the bottom of the tank is a perforated pipe 21, which may be coiled or extended (Filer is pipe connects with an outlet-pipe 22, which This pipe 22 may lead to any desired pointsuch, for example, as flushing-tanks-and the water drawn from the bottom of the tank may be used for such purposes.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

i 1. The combination with a stationary submerged draw-ofl' pipe having a plurality of inlets at diflerent heights, of means operated by variations of liquid-level to change the escaping liquid from one of said inlets to another.

2. The combination with an upward-projecting submerged draw-ofl" pipe, of a plurality of liquid-escapes into said pipe the escapes being at difierent heights, and means for automatically opening or closing the said liquid-escapes one after the other.

3. The combination of a liquid-receptacle; means within the receptacle to draw off the liquid and having a plurality of inlets at different heights; means for automatically opening and closing the said inlets, and a pipe independent of said means and having openings at the bottom of the receptacle for drawing of liquid from said bottom.

1. The combination of a liquid-receptacle; stationary means within the receptacle having a plurality of inlets i'or drawing liquid therefrom, said inlets being at different heights; a valve for controlling each inlet, and a float controlling each valve and operated by the variations of liquid-level in said receptacle.

5. A liquid-draw-ofl device having in combination a draw-off pipe to be submerged in the liquid and provided with a plurality of inlets at different vertical points; valves for closing said inlets, and a float device controlling each valve and operated by variations of liquid-level to successively open the valves as the water-level lowers.

6; in a water-draw-oif device the combination with the draw-off pipe having aplurality of passages, of a valve for each of said passages and an independent float coacting with each of said valves whereby to open the passages successively as the water-level lowers to permit the escape of surface water into said pipe.

7 The combination with a receptacle, of a pipe extending vertically in said receptacle and provided with a plurality of side passages; a valve device sustained by said pipe' adjacent each of said passages, and a float pivotallysupported adjacent each valve and adapted to move said valve to open or close the passsages by the variations of the water-level in the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TIMOTHY LYDON.

' Witnesses:

Gr. FERDINAND Voo'r, FELIX R. SULLIVAN. 

